Monday, October 31, 2016

The Black Phoebe is a dapper flycatcher of the western U.S. with a sooty black body and crisp white belly. They sit in the open on low perches to scan for insects, often keeping up a running series of shrill chirps. Black Phoebes use mud to build cup-shaped nests against walls, overhangs, culverts, and bridges. Look for them near any water source from small streams, to suburbs, all the way to the salt-sprayed rocks and cliffs of the Pacific Ocean. (From All about Birds)

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Yes, it's true that you won't find Burrowing Owls in Sabino; but it's also true that I can't get enough of these owls. If you click on the link above, you'll see one Ned's photos (scroll to Field Marks). And more great Ned photos available, of course, at Ned's flickr site.

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Even upside-down, this is a katydid. What's the difference between a grasshopper and a katydid? They do look similar, but one difference is how they make sounds. Grasshoppers (and locusts) use special structures on their back legs; katydids (and crickets) use their wings. More info here.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

This Gilded Flicker, photographed near the road to Bear Canyon Bridge in Sept., is member of a species at risk of extinction according to The North American Bird Conservation Initiative (stateofthebirds.org). According to the organization’s recently published survey and analysis, fully one-third of North America’s bird species are at risk—432 of 1,154 species. The solution? Conserving vital bird habitat strongholds such as Sabino Canyon.

The Gilded Flicker is one of two species of woodpeckers that excavate holes in saguaros in Sabino. Those openings eventually become high-rise condos for other nesting birds like Purple Martins. Gilded Flickers are year-round residents and eat mostly ants, but also beetles, termites, caterpillars along with fruits, berries, seeds and nuts.

Once Cooper’s Hawks are fledged in spring from that highly productive nest above Sabino Dam, where do all those young hawks go? Well, maybe some of them stick around. We saw this fearsome first-year hawk at the dam, Oct. 6. You can tell it is a first-year hawk because it has yellow rather than red eyes and a streaked breast rather than a roufous chest.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

I haven't seen many Eastern Collared Lizards this year, but when my Honey-Matt and I went hiking on 10/15/2016, we saw two different individuals. Top photo is probably a female; bottom may be a young one.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

This lone caterpillar was about as thick as an adult finger! We generally see the bright yellow-green version of White-lined Sphinx Moth larvae, so the identity of this one stumped us initially. As always, though, our favorite bug lady has a blog post on this very topic. And this link shows more photos of variously colored caterpillars.

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Although we didn't find loads of lizards on the October lizard walk, we did see many other creatures, including this Turkey Vulture, thanks to 7-year-old Anna, newcomer to Tucson and excellent spotter.

Friday, October 21, 2016

Around 6 pm on Oct. 6, we were having dinner and I spotted something brown coming down the trunk of a large Rhus Lancia tree outside of our back patio. I immediately thought Bobcat and ran outside. We saw the mother down below the patio wall and I spotted a kitten down in the backyard. Then we noticed this little guy in the tree. The mother left and went down into the back yard. The kitten stayed in the tree all night and was still there early the next morning. However, s/he was gone later so I assume the mother came back.

I hope mom comes back soon!

Reminder from Anne: NEVER PICK UP A BOBKITTEN! As vulnerable as they may appear (and, indeed, are), their mother will reject them if they smell of human. If you move a bobkitten, you cause their death. Follow Bill's example: take a photo from a distance and leave them be!

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Back for the seventh documented season, our partially albino Phainopepla known as Luke! Jean and Mark saw him earlier this month; Marty got this great photo recently.
All the photos from previous seasons are linked to last year's post.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Gayle and I were walking on the tram road in Sabino Canyon on the morning of 10/6/2016 when we encountered this beautiful gray fox. (Looked like she was digging up a rodent of some sort.) Gayle quickly took a few photos on her phone. The fox looked at us for a while, and we were able to point her out to two more road walkers. What a treat!
More info on canyon canids here.

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Looking through old posts has brought me a lot of joy, I must admit! Some truly outstanding photos (and occasional wit and wisdom). This blog has changed for the better over the years, too. Without further ado, the best of October series.

According to my rattlesnake book, Black-tailed Rattlesnakes "are occasionally seen in shrubs and low trees, apparently hunting birds." I was leading a butterfly field trip in Patagonia when one of my participants almost walked into a Black-tailed which was 2 ½ feet off the ground sitting in a grass tussock. I also spoke to a herpetologist [name redacted] who had recently been bitten on his upper arm by a Black-tailed. I assumed he had picked one up and asked how a professional herpetologist could be so stupid. He explained that he never saw the snake before it bit him as it was 5 feet up in a small tree. He said he was lucky not to have been bitten in the face.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Biologist Frank Reichenbacher points to Tumamoc Globeberry (Tumamoca macdougalii), an uncommon vine in the melon and gourd family, growing on the east side of Sabino Creek. Reichenbacher, a volunteer, is the leading expert on this root perennial that in 1986 was only known to grow in a few refuges, including Sabino Canyon, the Painted Hills, and Tumamoc Hill, and so was listed as an Endangered Species. During decades of scouting, Reichenbacher discovered additional populations in southern Arizona and Sonora, Mexico; in 1993 Tumamoc Globeberry was delisted. Today, it is a species of conservation concern in the county’s Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan.

Tumamoc Globeberry reproduces very slowly, said Reichenbacher. Typically he'll find only a few seedlings in a decade - always in proximity to a mature plant. This leads him to wonder if the seed-bearing fruits are not dispersed by wildlife. Nevertheless, "In Sabino Canyon, they're undergoing a mini-boom. I found 20 new seedlings last year."

Anne says: Fred and Ned also took photos of this great plant.

Photo by Fred Heath 9/12/2016

Photo by Fred Heath 9/12/2016

Photo by Ned Harris 9/14/2016

Photo by Ned Harris, hand by Alexa von Bieberstein 9/14/2016

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this story! Especially to Frank Reichenbacher for clarifying the latest science.

This beauty is a Lyresnake, most likely a Sonoran Lyresnake. (I initially misidentified one 6 years ago!) These snakes aren't seen very often in Sabino, because they're nocturnal (except when they find a particularly warm spot, it would seem).

Saturday, October 1, 2016

This Giant Desert Centipede was seen on the Sabino scene on the cloudy and rainy September 23, 2016. Bill Kaufman writes:

They do have venom and can bite if interfered with, but the toxin is generally harmless to humans. It could be painful like that of a bee sting, however, and allergies are always possible. Leave them alone. They are nocturnal, so we were lucky to see this one. It was likely out due to the cloudy skies and rain. I count 42 legs.